weight loss

As if on cue, NBC's The Biggest Loser premiered the same day the JAMA study was released. Already known for promoting dangerous weight-loss tactics under the banner of "health," the latest season comes with a fat-shaming twist: kids.

It's pretty much limited to reruns on the Style Network now, but when it was on ABC, one of my favorite shows to watch was Extreme Makeover. The show was hardcore; when they said "extreme" they meant it. From nose jobs to liposuction and body "resculpting" to butt implants, boob implants, tooth veneers and LASIK, they will turn your "ugly" into an artificially constructed version of what society deems attractive. For the fat participants on the show, an extreme weight loss plan was constructed that the participants had to complete to qualify for the plastic surgery procedures they so desperately needed. Besides the whole "carrot and stick" factor to the weight loss programs, they didn't particularly revolutionize the participant's eating and exercise habits for the long term, and if they didn't lose all the fat they were required to, they'd pretty much just liposuck that away.